Rail clamping and fastening device.



W. D. CRANNEY. HAlL cLAMPING AND FASTENING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. I9, IBI3- RENEWED IAN. 2?, 1916.

Il 1I 96,339.. Pateud Ang. 29, 1916.

W/T/VESSES.'

WILLARD I). CRANNEYQOF LOG-AN, UTAH.

RAIL CLAMPING AND FASTENING DEVICE.

rinasce.

Application filed December 19, 1913, Serial No. 807,702. Renewed January 27, 1916.

o of Utah, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rail Clamping and Fastening Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

lThe object of my invention is the provision of a positive, effective device for securing a rail to a tie, whichdevice shall be capable of being applied or removed without displacing either the rail or the tie and which shall be capable of use with either wooden, metal, or concrete ties.

To this end my invention in its preferred form comprises a pair of inverted U-shaped members, each adapted to straddle a tie and to engage a rail with their horizontal portions; the legs of one of said members being short and provided with means adapted to engage slots in the other of said members, which latter is provided with legs long enough to extend below the tie. Means are also provided which engage the longer of the clamping members and the lower surface of the tie to draw the rail into firm engagement with the tie.

Further and more particular objects and advantages of my invention will later appear in the specification and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the single sheet of drawings accompanying this application and forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a side view of one end of a tie to which is applied my clamping device, the rail appearing in vertical section; Fig. 9. illustrates the same parts shown in Fig. l, the rail appearing in side elevation and the tie and clamping means in end View; and Figs. 3 and t are detached-perspective views of the female and male clamping members respectively.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the longer or female clamping member and 2 the shorter or male clamping member. The longer member is provided with a curved slot 3 adapted to receive the pins or legs 4 on the shorter member, the interior dimensions of the shorter member between the legs ia being a trifle greater than the exterior dimensions of the longer member to the outside of the legs 5 (as clearly shown `in Fig. 2). It will be clear, however, that this relation of pin and slot between the longer and shorter members,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented aug. aa, raie.

Serial No. 74,701.

could be reversed without in any sense departing from my invention. Slots 6a (the one preferably larger than the other as shown in Fig. 3) are provided in the legs 5 for the reception of a seeming wedge 6.

A wear plate 7, provided with guiding flanges 8 spaced to freely receive the rail 9, is preferably provided for the tie 10 when the latter is of wood but it will be evident that if metal ties are employed a notch in the metal could conveniently be employed to serve the same purpose. A metal plate 11 may also be advantageously employed to form a bearing for the wedge 6 on the under side of the tie.

I prefer to provide the horizontal portions 13 and 14 of the male and female clamping members respectively with ribs 12 which. when the clamp is in operative position, fall within the flanges S of the wear plate. These ribs perform the double function of preventing horizontal displacement of the clamping members when tension is put thereupon and of closing any space which may remain between the rail flange and the flanges 8, thus preventing horizontal displacement of the rail. A spike or spikes 15 should preferably be employed to anchor the wear plate firmly to the tie.

The manner of applying my clamping de vice is as follows: The clamping members l and 2 are dropped over the tie on opposite sides of the rail and the member 1 is swung until the pins l enter the slots 3; then the member 1 is allowed to swing back to vertical position-the shape of the slots 3 and of the upper face 1G of the member 1 being such as to permit this without interference by the flange of the rail. Then the wedge 6 is driven home thus drawing both of the clamping members tightly against the rail .fa-nd firmly holding` it against displacement.

The wedge (S may be roiiighened as shown if desired to prevent its working loose.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Fatcnt is:

1. In a rail clamp, a pair of inverted U- shaped clamping members each adapted to straddle a tie and to engage a rail with their Ahorizontal portions, means connecting said clamping members at a point below the lower surface of the flange of the rail, and :means for drawing said clamping members in. a downward direction.

Y ln a rail clamp, a pair of inverted U- shaped clamping members each adapted to stradd'le a tie and to engage a rail with their horizontal portions, means pivotally connecting said clamping members below the lower surface of the liange of the rail, and means adapted to engage one of said clamping members and the lower surface of a tie for drawing said clamping members in a downward direction.

3. In a rail clamp, a pair of inverted U- shaped clamping members, the one of said members being provided with a pair of slots and the other with means adapted to enter said slots kto look the members together, means on said members for engaging the upper faces of the Hange of a rail on opposite sides of the web thereof, and means adapted to engage one of said members and a tie for causing downward pressure on the upper surface of the flange of a rail.

a; In combination, a rail, a tie, a pair of inverted U-shaped clamping members ada-pted to straddle said tie and to extend a slight distance therebelow, means pivotally connecting said clamping members below the lower face of said rail flange, and a wedge passing through one of said clamping members and engaging the lower surface of the tie.

5. In combination, a rail, a tie, a channeled wear plate mounted on the tie, the distance between the channel flanges of the wear plate being slightly greater than the width of the fiangc of the rail, a pair of inverted U-shaped clamping members adapted to straddle said tie and one of said members adapted to extend a slight distance below said tie, said clamping members having each a horizontal portion adapted to engage the flange of the rail and a rib adapted to enter the space between the rail iange and the corresponding channel fiange of the wear plate, means pivotally connecting said clamping members below the lower surface of the rail flange, and a wedge passing through one of said clamping members and engaging the lower surface of the tie.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

W'ILLRD D. CRANNEY. Witnesses:

ANNA I-I. ARTHUR, HORACE PoLLAnD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

